Illegal Alien Facing Immigration Charges

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 9, 2010

ERIE, Pa. ‑ A resident of Distrito Federal, Mexico, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of violating federal immigration laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

The three-count indictment named Baldemar Gonzalez-Santibanez, 58, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment presented to the court, on or about September 20, 2010, Gonzalez-Santibanez was found to be unlawfully present within the United States. Gonzalez-Santibanez had been previously ordered deported and removed from the United States on July 19, 1998. The defendant subsequently reentered the United States, and was found to be present in this country without the permission of either the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. In addition, Gonzalez-Santibanez had applied for employment in the United States by falsely claiming to be a lawful permanent resident, and by utilizing both a fraudulent Social Security card and an alien registration number that had not been assigned to him

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 12 years in prison, a fine of $750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Christine A. Sanner is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment or information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.